Weatherboards give so many homes around Geelong, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine and Golden Plains their character. Looked after, they last for decades. Left too long, a small problem quietly becomes a big one, and a job that could have been a quick repair turns into replacing a whole wall.
We have been repairing and matching weatherboards for three generations, so we know the early warning signs. Here are five worth catching before the wet sets in.
When paint keeps flaking, bubbling or peeling back no matter how many times it is redone, the timber underneath is usually the real story. Think of paint as the board's raincoat. Once it fails, moisture gets in behind it, and repainting alone will not fix what is happening to the timber.
Press a board and it gives, or a screwdriver sinks in with barely any pressure, and that is rot. It tends to start low, near the ground, or around windows and downpipes where water sits and cannot drain away. Rot spreads, so the sooner it is cut out and replaced, the less you lose.
Timber moves with the seasons. Over the years boards can split, cup or pull apart at the joins, and every one of those gaps is a way in for water and pests. On the coast, wind-driven rain finds them quickly.
If a room has become draughtier, or you are seeing damp on internal walls, the cause is sometimes outside rather than in. Failed boards let the weather through the cladding long before the plaster shows it.
Corners, window surrounds and the bottom row cop the most weather, so they are usually first to go. When they start to soften or split, the rest of the wall is often not far behind. They are also the fiddliest to match, which is exactly where doing it properly counts.
This is the part most people do not expect. In most cases we splice in new boards to match the existing profile, make good, and leave it primed and ready to paint. We can finish the paint too, so you are not chasing a second contractor. Matched properly, the repair disappears into the wall and the house is protected again.
A recent repair: rotten boards cut out, new timber spliced in to match, primed and ready to paint.
Caught early, weatherboard repair stays a small, manageable job. Left a season or two too long, water gets into the framing behind, and that is when it gets expensive.
If one or two of these sound familiar, the easiest thing is to send us a photo. What is the part of the house you are most worried about? Tell us and we will give you a straight read on whether it is a watch-and-wait, or worth booking in before winter.
